Vacuum-cleaner.



G.' G. SCHUELE & E. E. ILGENFRITZ.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. 1912,

WIT/V555 s.-

G. G. SCHUELE L E. E. ILGENFRITZ. VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLIUATXON I'ILBD MARZ, 1912. 1,053,653, Patented. Feb. 18, 1913.

l I I/ WITNESS@ l `BY s AFORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

UOBGE Q. BUHUmE LND mm E. ILGENFBITZ, F CLEVELAND, 0R10.

'VLUUUKCLEANER inoculation et Letten Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, Gnoaon G. Scnrmm: and Emma E. AIni'iririiirrz citizens of the United States, residing at leveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in VacuumCleaners, of which t ie following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in vacuum cleaners, and is designed espreciall as a carpet cleaning device.

he o ifct of the invention is to improve the const ictioi. and operation of the suc; tion type of car cleaners in several particulars. The and operated machine of this ty e embodies mechanism which may be continuously operating, although the machine and its driving means are actuated and operatively driven only ii n the forward stroke or movement of the c aner, the movement being similar to the ordinary carpet sweeper.

The embodiment of the invention according to our improvements providcs'a simple, compact, and durable instrumentality for the purpose'designed, and the initial or first cost of the device is comparativel low.

The invention consists essential y in the 4novel features of construction and combination and arrangements of the nozzles, suction chambers, the fan casings, etc., as will be more particularly pointed out in the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawin we have illustraed one example of the p ysica'l embodiment of our invention constructed accordin to the best mode we have so far devise for the practical application of the principles. Figure 1 is a top plan view of a carpet cleaner embodying the principles of our invention. t Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on a plane indicated by line 2--2 Fi 1. Fi 3 is a vertical sectional view cna p ane in icated by line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on a lane indicated by line 4-4 of'Fig. 1. `ig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the device on the plane of shafts 11 and 14.

The cleaning device as illustrated in the drawings is specially intended for household or similar use, and is to be manipulated in the manner similar to the ordinary type of car et'sweeper employing brushes and drawn ack and fort-h over the caipete rigid with a cup 17 an floor by hand. For this purpose the usual handle 1 is provided, but for convenience in illustration the handle has been broken oil', and the device may be ypropelled back and forth upon-the wheels 2, 2, which are lloosely journaled upon the shaft 3.

The shaft 3 is su ported in bearings 4, 4 and is to be rotate through the medium of the traction or driving wheels (in forward direction only) throu h the medium of a disk 6 which is keye to the shaft, and a series of pivoted pawls 6 on the disk. These` pawls are adapted to engage ratchet teeth fashioned on the wheels, so that2 when the wheels are rotating in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 4 the teeth engage the pawls to rotate the disk and thus turn the shaft. In this manner the shaft is rotated only upon the forward movement of the wheels, the pawls being released from the teeth when the wheels are turned backward, and to prevent dislocation of the pawls, lugs 8 are provided, as will be understood.

As is clearl illustrated in Fig. 1 the invention as em iodied in its physical forni includes a pair of fans, as 9, 9, inclosed within casings 10, 10, and supported to rotate upon a conimon shaft 11. The fans are drii'eu from the driving shaft 3 through 4the inedi-um of the driving gear wheel 12, which meshes with a inioii 13 on shaft 14 supported between t e fan casings. In addition It0 the small pinion 13,'tlie shaft carries a larger gear 15, which enffages a pinion 16, dloose on the fan shaft 11. The cup 17 is formed with .an interior series of notches or teeth 18 with which are adapted to engage a series of ivoted pawls 19 on the disk 20, the latter ing rigid with the fan shaft 11. Through this described train of gearsaiid driving awls the fan shaft is driven to rotate the ans in one, the forward direction, cnl

The two fan casings are connected and braced by means of the webbed plate 2l, which is bolted, as by means 22 to the casin s and holds tlieiii rigidly in position.

ntegral with cach fan casing and projectin forwardly and downwardly therefrom is a nozzle portion 23 formed with an open outer end 24, a fiat passageway 25 which increases in height and mer .inlo the intake chamber 26 that opens into the fan casing. Each fan casin is provided with an outlet pipe 27, to w ich the open llO B' Losanna 'flanges which" areperforated for the;V ren'operatinglt device,*the"machineis pro elled l*forward `on'ita `.wheels.2', by als ing on the han les, and if desired may l'alternatelg' pushed' -forward and, drawn backwardly, ut in eith, operating the `ma chine by continuous forward movement, or an'alternate forward ,andl rearward movement, it will be understo d that thefan mechanism is driven -only x V"one direction and that the forward direction of travelof the wheels 2. By use ofthe d ouble ratchet or clutch arrangement, onein thedrivixig wheels and the other on the fanshaft, the wheels are drivenlin one directipn only to actuate the fan actuating mechanism, -and when the device is drawn ack orjr'eversed in its movement, the gears in thedriving train stand still, and the fan is permitt d to'rotate without unnecessary retarding friction or power in drivin 'themechamsxii. The driving clutch mec anism in each` of the wheels rotates the shaft 8 which-inturn ref volves the driving gear 12 andthrough the medium of.` this gear the clutch mechanism within the disk cup 17 drives the fan shaft to rotate the fans. The continued man' ulation and propelling of the machine-axes the fans to attain high speed and-a vacuum is quickly created inthe casingn. The ction then draws dirt, dust, eto., thr0ug;t1he mouth-24, up through the paseagewa'ya-B the intakes 26, thence through-the outlet pipes 27 into the twin mouths of the bag 29.

Copies of'thls patent may be obtain/od 'eihandle ihy'Jmeans-.inf' v it jmay Abe which fu Aactuating said shaft, a driving c the' ba 29 has been sutliciently filled,

A etached, and replaced by an empty one, and the operation of cleaning reaumed.

c -From the above description taken in connection with our. drawin it is evident that we havef rovided `a device for this purpose s the conditions set forth as the obects of ourinvention;

aving thus fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure b 'Letters Patent is 1. Tile combination with supportin traction wheels, duplicate lan casings an a fan ineach casing, of a nozzle portion integral with each casing and opening thereinto and provided with nn open mouth, a driving shaft and drivin gear wheel actuated by said traction whes, a fan shaft and a clutch and gear thereon, and an intermediate shaft with gears thereon for transmitting rotation from the driving shaft to the fan shaft.

2. The combination with a drivin shaft and traction wheels loosely supporte thereon, of duplicate fan casings, a fan in each casing', a flaring. nozzle integral with each casing and having an open mouth adapted to pass v overfthe surface to be cleaned, a brace plate bolted to each casing, a fan shaft common tb said fans, a drivin clutch for xtch for o eratively connecting each wheel and t. ie driving shaft and means for transmitting motion of the driving shaft to said fan shaft. A In testimony whereof we aix our signatures in presenceof two witnesses.

` GEORGE G. SCHUELE.

LMER'E ILGENFRITZ. Witnesses:

A. H. Eaux., H. A. Brown. 

